Pretty well all cars - even in dynamo days - have a regulator. In most alternators, it's built in.
If you check the battery volts just after a cold start, you'd be right. You need to hook up your meter to show the volts after some time running, when the battery is charged.
All types of batteries require a different charger.
Wet lead acid is popular because it is less critical of the charging routine than other types.
Must admit to never having heard of a Li-Ion type being used as a starter battery in a normal car - although I can see why on a bike.
But to me, it would make more sense to use an alternator with a regulator and wiring specially designed for the job. Rather than fudge things to make a drop in replacement for a lead acid.
I've heard the term "regulator" used for cars, but I thought it was to change 3 phase AC into DC, just a big bridge rectifier.
I wasn't aware lead acids were so fragile. I have my old car connected to an old Bradex 4A charger 24/7, as the alarm runs the battery flat. The charger indicates it's delivering 0.5 amps after it's been sat for a while, and I've measured it at 14.4V. Surely charging a 60Ah battery at 0.5A (which is a 5 day charge!) can't possibly break it?
You can buy Li-ion drop in replacements made by the likes of Bosch on Eurocarparts. I assume it simply stops or restricts the charging current internal to the battery when it's had enough, easy enough to do that with a very cheap chip compared to the cost of the whole battery. It's smaller and lighter than lead acid, but who cares in a car. The reason I'd buy one (and I will next time I need a new battery) is they cost twice as much but last 5 times longer. Plus if the alternator overcharges it, it can't, as the battery looks after itself. Plus, apparently they aren't so bothered about deep discharge as lead acids, either due to the chemistry or due to some internal protection circuit.
They have both. Rectifier pack and regulator. Some older - or larger alternators - had the regulator external to the alternator.
Something very odd indeed if you're seeing 14.4 volts and an 0.5 amp charge at the same time.
So it has some kind of intelligent sensor that detects when the battery is full and switches to trickle mode?
What would you expect to see? The above is my experience with all lead acids, they simply don't take much current when they're full.
Just been through their entire range. Plenty of Lion brand batteries, but no mention at all of Li-Ion. Can you give a part number?
Yip, I've got one of those in my car. When I looked up reviews, everybody was confusing them with Lithium Ion!
Ok I dunno what's going on here. Yesterday I found the Bosch battery on Eurocarparts by doing a Google search for "Lithium Ion car battery". Now I'm seeing an actual lead acid Bosch. I was sure it said Lithium Ion, and at over £2 per Ah, I assumed it had to be! Lead Acids are about 60p an Ah - I bought my lead acid Lion car battery for £40, and it's 60Ah (and I tested it to make sure).
Now all I can see is this 5Ah (although you get more usable capacity with Li-Ion, lead acids don't like deep discharge) Lithium Ion for £77 on Ebay:
Weird they're that expensive, as I've got a mobile phone sized 20Ah (I haven't validated that claim!) Li-Ion jump starter pack which was only £20. Perhaps it's no good for continuous use in a car though. I can start the car with it, and it's handy as a USB power source to run phones, satnavs, cameras, etc, etc from when camping. They're made of 3 pouch shaped cells, Bigclive did a teardown on Youtube:
Unregulated chargers have killed many batteries when left on too long.
NT
I'm not so sure lead acids are that fussy. Everybody tells me you must never flatten one, yet I've had a battery which I let run completely flat about 20 times, and it still works fine. And I don't believe overcharging it at a 5 day charge rate could kill it. Oh well, if it breaks it breaks, I've loads of batteries kicking about. I'll buy a nicer charger if it dies. I was going to get a Li-Ion battery if it died (they'd have their own charge protection), but since those cost WAY more than I thought, I won't bother.
The little Lidl/Aldi charger at about 14 quid - similar to Ctek at several times the price - changes to a maintenance mode when the battery is fully charged and can be left like that indefinitely. Very simple to do these days with electronics.
I'd be most surprised if Li-Ion was worth it for a car starter battery. A decent lead acid should do 10 years plus of normal use. Any weight saving hardly worth the considerable extra cost.
I don't think even Rolls Royce fit Li-Ion.
I guess we'll get them when the cost comes down. Which it'll have to do if electric cars are to become viable. But er.... then we won't have starter batteries :-)
Seem quite popular for Motor Cycles, but I can't think why....
Weight, which is more significant on a motorbike than a car. Mind you, they could be like my friend who's into mountain biking, who insists on paying £1000 for a part that saves him 10 grammes.
replying to Harry Bloomfield, Mentonmadame wrote: I have this charger, it won't over charge. Once the battery is charged it switches over to trickle charge and maintain.
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